Listen up people - new speeding laws in BC that come into effect MONDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2010: For 1st time offenders: If you are caught speeding 40km or over any posted speed limit, your car will be automatically impounded for 7 days, charged an up-front fine of $483 - $737, 3 demerit points taken off your driving record, AND ICBC will charge you a $320 'risky driver' premium when you go to renew your insureance for 3 consecutive years! Not only that, but you will also have to pay the 7-day impound and storage fee charges for them to hold your car. For 2nd time offenders: vehicles will be impounded for 30 days (you are responsible for all storage/impound charges), AND an up-front HAVE-TO-PAY fine of $1,243 PLUS ICBC will charge $370 annual driver-risk premium each year for three years.
Politicians a re going crazy. Creating laws that have some form of sympathy. Yet they are leaniant on drugs and smugglers. Go figure.
makes sense in the city, yet totally senseless on 99% of the roads in the province, imvho. And about as much discussion as HST.
As this plays out, I'm sure there will be lots of miserable stories. Yes, absolutely fine in the city where speeding fools endanger pedestrians and kids on bikes. But imagine going a measly 40km over the speed limit (that's only 24 miles per hour) on a mega highway such as the Kokahala and having yr. exotic impouded on the spot. Then imagine a local tow truck rambling up and jacking your car away. Then imagine it sitting in some crowded impound lot beside a bunch of squeezed SUVs for a week. Expect lots of scratches and dents along with the crazy fines.
Politicians with nothing to do are dangerous. I thought there were all kinds of gang violence problems that needed tending to?
Has this been reported in the local media? Any links? I've been out of town and hadn't heard of this. But, not surprised. Jon
well reported in the news; http://www.vancouversun.com/Excessive+speed+could+cost+thousands+plus+impoundment+your+vehicle/3481328/story.html
TAX GRAB..........plain and simple. I live in Alberta and will never drive any car in BC again, nor travel there thru other means for any reason whatsover.
IIRC the speed limit on highways in BC is 90 KMH.......and in the rest of the country it is 110 KMH which is still way too low IMHO........especially in Saskatchewan...... Let me say it again......ICBC is a profit making entity owned by the government.......highway speed limits are artificially lower there, than anywhere else......impound lots are owned by municipalities........etc......... TAX GRAB. Isn't communism wonderful ?
ICBC is a profit making entity but in my research it has proven to keep my rates lower than they would be in Ontario. Actually the vast majority of the highways are 100km/h. The Coquihalla is the only one where it is 110km/h. And I have not heard of any municipality owned impound lots. Every one I have heard of is a private company. Isn't capitalism wonderful?
yes, if one wants to go fast; go on track that you can drive upto to 260km (depends on how long the straight is) ... no ticket at all
Compared to private coverage here in Alberta ICBC is much more expensive. And from the looks of it, ICBC has just become even moreso and is now nothing but a tax collecting arm of the government. How come most of the signs I see are 90 KMH once you are off the main roadway (#1), yet they are 110 pretty much everywhere in Alberta ? That was my point. Regardless of the figure, BC limits are artificially low......and were suggested as being low in a 2003 engineering report that was disregarded by the government. Drive from the Alberta border into BC where it goes from 110-90 KMH and count the cop cars.....err, tax collectors, waiting patiently for us......heh. Impound lot operators and towing firms (Buster's Towing in Vancouver, Citywide, et al) all bid for the operating contracts administered by and held (read owned) by the various municipalities, which get the lion's share of the revenue cut. Same thing, different execution. There was a news report today that the Alberta government collected $110MM in fine revenue last year.......mostly from speeding citations with our 110 KMH limit. Imagine what a 10 or 20 KMH drop in our limit would mean to their provincial coffers......now add the tax hikes, errrr, citation fine increases and insurance fee increases. If these were private companies you'd have a choice. Luckily we do and our government knows that automobile insurance fee increases here are a huge political hot button that can bring down a sitting government.
